Blast from the Past

This book was the book that started my absolute freakish of books. I bought this book in Berlin, Germany at 8 in the morning, by the time it was 4p.m. I was finished with the book. Excellent and Entissing. If your kind of reading is an action book this is the one, it also incorporates a well planned out realashonship, of twists and turns. Intreged myself by the action then the realashonship, then it all combined. AWESOME CHOICE OF LITERATURE!

This book I read in 4 hours. I never read a book as fast as this one before. The book had many twists, and turns, alot of vibrant awakening words. I was not able to put this book down and the two times I did I lost my place, it was such an entreging book I didnt mind reading an extra chapter before realizing I was on the wrong page. The book talked about an officer in the ARMY having an affair with a 17 year old when he is 30 years old. then 15 years later he visits her. they never talk between those 15 years also. well the story goes on and on, and if I tell anymore it would ruin the book. READ IT for it is an EXCELLENT book.

I have been a huge Ben Elton fan for years (unusual for a yank for sure, however lived in Australia for 8 years, so...), and have read all his books. I felt that this had it's truly enjoyable Elton comic moments, however the story was rather weak. Buy, hey, what the hell! Ben's books have never been literary masterpieces nor the top of the pops when it comes to 'the most clever plot line' either. Stark was better than this, however this was a far cry better than the pathetic 'Other Eden' thing he did a few years back. Overall, this book moves along pretty well, and sprinkles some of the ole Elton humour liberally amongst the situations. Can Ben really write the thriller of the year? NO - however this book is great bit of fun, and we all need that every so often, eh?Enjoy it for what it is - Ben is not out to be the next Hemingway or anything - I think he just likes to write, and he doesn't do a bad job of it at all.

This is the best kind of comedy, the kind used in shows such as Blackadder, Red Dwarf and One Foot in the Grave - plenty of humour and hilarity but also a serious underlying theme.'Blast from the Past' is a masterpiece. The characters are believable and all of them, even the disturbed stalker, are sympathetic. Though there is no shortage of political and social humour (a certain head of state even makes an appearance), the 'Fox and Hound'-type storyline - two characters who live in a society which refuses to allow them to be close because of their backgrounds - means you genuinely care about the two central characters and are kept glued to the book until the very end.

I am glad this is only the second Ben Elton book I have read, the first being Popcorn, because then I cannot compare it unfavorably with earlier, supposedly funnier books. Purely on its own terms I though "Blast" was excellent; well written, humorous, tightly-plotted, perceptive, and heart-warming at the end. It was well balanced between witty cultural criticism and good romantic storytelling. As a Brit who has lived in the USA for 20 years maybe I can appreciate sentiment a bit more than my cynical countrymen. But this is no soppy tale. There are a few deaths, allusions to the follies of both the US and UK, and, in my opinion, good dialogue. I thought it was a better book than Popcorn, which often tried too hard for its humour, the "sea of cleavage" passage being an example. I understand Elton used to write for the infantile show "The Young Ones." I think he's improved a lot, based on the evidence of this most enjoyable book.